Potato or like digger



Sept. 23, 1930.

,J. BAMFORD ET AL v POTATO 0R LIKE DIGGER Filed July 19, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG L FIG.5.

" ptizs, 3 JIBAMFORD ET AL 1,776,485

POTATO OR LIKE DIGGER Filed July 19, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 23,1930. J. BAMFORD ET AL POTATO OR LIKE BIGGER Filed July 19, 1928 5Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 23, 1930 e ms STA TBS PAT

f fibsEP H nAlvironn ann wan. JOSEPH BAMFORLD', or u'rrroxETER, Emma i i1" ThisLinventionrelatestomachines dig- .gingpotatoes or thelikeandrefers more particularly to that typef of machine having a shareor its equivalent behind'which 1s a rtary f digging element comprisingforks '01 tines mounted on-a transversely disposed r0- tary disc or heador its equivalent in combination .witha second or receiving rotary discor (arid. v i i-The object-"of the present invention is to provide agenerallyimproved construction of'such'machines;

- One of the features of the present invention is to employ'incombination a rotary digging [element comprising forks or tines mountedupon a transversely disposedv rotary disc or, head or its equivalentarranged on a substantially horizontal axis and-a rotary re- .ceivingdisc or screen arranged on a vertical #9 or inclined shaft anddisposedat-the side of I V the digging element.

QA further feature of the present invention is to make provision so thatthe receiv ng disc '{or screen can be adjusted in a direction parallelto the longitudinal axis of the machine.

-A- further feature of the present invention K is to mount the shaft ofthe receiving disc, or

the machine.

v. Referring to the drawings I y L Figure 1 is a plan viewof themachine. Figure-2 is an endview.

FigureB is a planview upon an enlarged scale showing the driving meansforthe shaft 1 I of the receiving member.

" j Figure 1 is-a view. in side elevation of the g l Figure 6 isasideview of another arrange- 'ment ofgearing and screen.

1 apparatus shown-in Figure 3.

p 5 is an end :view of shown in- Figure 3. v

- Figure the apparatus 7 T Figure? is an end'viewthereof.

In the construction illustrated the machine comprises asuitable frame 1-supported 1 upon an axle 2 having supporting wheels 8.

. 'Themachine is provided with a main driving shaft lj which isarrangedsubstantially centrallyand'longitudinally with respect to ,themachine, and this shaft receives motion f Po'rATo'oR LIKE nIGGER:

' 'a li-cati i dnil 19,1928, Seria1'N0.2l94,020, and in Gi'eat BritainJi11y'27,-1927. I

through suitable gearing from the support-1 ing wheels. L i i, I

Mountedbetween the supporting wheelsis a share 5 for raising the ridgecontaining the crop, and to the rear of this share is a dig ging elementwhichconsists of a rotary disc or-memberfi'mounted upon the main drivingshaft 4 and-fitted with .hingedly attached forksfor tines 8, this memberbeing disposed transverselywith respect to the longitudinal centreline'of the machine and being. mounted upon a substantially horizontalaxls: v v

The forks .or tines 8 are mounted in tine carriers 7i and vthese tinecarriers are connectedby arms- 26 to a reel 27 rotatably mounted upon anarm 30 carried by an arm 28 extend ing over the 'disc 6 andv carried bythe main frame. a The reel 27 is thus mounted eccen-' ltrically inrelation to the rotary disc or mem her 6. Thearms 26 serve to locate thetines8 in suitable digging positions. 1 a C At theside of this rotarydiggingelement is acountershaft 9 which is parallel to the main drivingshaft andwhich is driven by means of sprockets 10 and 11 and chain 12 orby other suitable means from the main driv- V This countershaft 9 issupportedin a U- shaped bracket 18 fixed to the frame and thecountershaft carries a bevel wheel 14 which may beadjusted to and froalong the. shaft.

supported in'a bearing 19. The bearing 19 has a projecting stud 20 whichengages in an arcuate slot 21 in abracket 31 struck from the centreof'the countershaft 9 sothat'the shaft 18 can be swung laterally oneither side of the vertical position and secured in an requiredposit-ion by a nut 22 on the stud 20. At the lower part of this shaft 18is fixed the rotary receiving element 23 which, in the constructionillustratedconsists of a disc 24having tines 25fforming a bell shapedscreen; Otherforms of receivingelement downwardly and forwardly inspiral formati'on \and are curved outwardly from their point ofattachment to the said disc so: that i the diameter of the circleenclosing the free ends of these'tines is larger than the diameter ofthe discto which'they are fixed;

The receiving element 23 is near the clockwise direction (when viewedfrom crop, which is moved laterally with respect "to the machine bythediggingelements 8, is

received upon this rotary receiving element 23 which-checks its movementand causes it 'tob'e-deliveredat the side of the machine. i c Ifrequired, the bevel wheel '14, bevel pinion 15, and shaft 16 may bemovahle bodily 'slidingthe bevel wheel alongth e'counters'haft 9; Insuch an arrangement the bracket 13 will be fslotted and the bracket 31will be moved along in frelation to the bracket 13' and securedi-naffresh position thereon,

In the 'constructionshown the" shaft .16

"is provided with abearin'g 29 in the bracket T 13, but if the two bevelwheelsl t'and 15 are 7 to be 'adjustable in a direction parallelto theshaft '9' then' 'the bearing 29 will be formed P the bracket 13." V 4 yl instead of thus providing for the bodily fore "and aft adjustment ofthe'receiving if Inembera'ndits" shaft" the receiving member and itsshaft may be swungin arfore and aft direction insteadof'providingf for aswinging movement "in" a v transverse direction. Insuch an arrangementthe/position l of: thebracket 31Tis lalteredso that the dependingportion occupies'ajposition atright 1 anglest'o that shownin'the'drawings. m

' mentoradjacent theretowe mayprovide a A In the construction showninFigure 6 and 'Z the universal joint. 17 'is omitted In thisarrangement'the shaft'9 is supported in two bearings 32 anda swingingbracket 33 is provided for carrying the "shaft' 18.; The shaft :18 isprovided with a bevel wheel 15 gearing with thebevel 14 onthe shaft 9;

I, The bracketi33 is connecte'd to the webs -34: of thebrackets 32"hy,me n of'bolts 35 passing through slots 36-901 that theangle of f theshaft 18 maybe adjusted as required In any ofthese arrangements meansare provided for retaining-the.v shaft which carries the receivingelement" in any adjusted position it being understood that'this shaftcan either move bodily, forwardly, or to the rea-r01" can swinglaterally through a suitfyableangle. 1

Upon the: o'uterfside of the receivingeleguard of netting orwood-orsheet m'etal or other suitable "material'. This "guard is*mountedyuponsuitable supports which are "elements. 5

carried by brackets fixed onthe frame of'the 'ging, element shown andwe: may-use any type of rotary digging element provided it is V mountedupon a substantially horizontal 7 axis;' I 7 ground and is drivenpreferably inan anti-f What we claim then is s V 2 1. A potato diggingmachine comprising above); the arrangement being suclithat the infcoinb'ination" a name; an "axle "on f said main driving shaft, a sharefor raisingthe ridge containing the crops,.lairot ar.yf digging. elementat the rear of the share, said digging element being arranged with itsaxis substantiallyhorizontal and comprising a 'num jframe, suortinglwheels on said axle a her or, hingedly attached tines, a rotaryelea ment mountedeccentrically of said digging element, connecting armsfrom said rotary element" to the hinged tines,'said arms "serv- 'ingto'locate said tines in' suitable digging positions,a dependingshaftdisposed at'the v side of the digging element, a disc on "saiddepending "shaft; 1 downwardly depending;-

tines extending outwardly and --forwardly 'tromthe periphery ofsaiddisca'nd adapted to for-ma bellshaped receiving screen, and meansfor drivingthe'dlgging and receiving 7 2. A potato diggingmachinecomprising in combination a fra'me,{a'1'1"axlej on said maindriving 7' shaft, a share for-raising the ridge containing the crop arotary digging.

element at the rear of. the shar said digging element being arrangedwithfits axis substane 'ti'allv horizontal and comprising a numberfframesu ortin wheels on said axle o'fflh'ingedly' attached'tines, arotary element mounted eccentrically' of said fdig'gingelement,connectingarms from'said rot'aryelesitio'ns; adepending shaft disposedatthe side of the digging element, adiscgon said depending shaftftineson said -disc,' 'said tines extending downwardly and forwardly menttothe hinged tines; saidarms serving to locate- -said tines in suitable'diggingpoin spiral formation" and'jbeing curvedout- 1 v V wardly fromtheir 'point of attachment to said disc," so that'the diameter, oflthecircle enclosing the free end s ofsa'id tines is larger 7' than thediameter of the disc 1 to which the other-ends of the tines arefixed,'the;planes enclosing said circle and said disc being in spacedrelationship and means for driving the digging and receiving elements.

3. A potato digging 'machine comprising in combination a frame; an? axle*on' said frame,- supporting wheels on saidaxle, a

maindrivingshaft, a share; for raising the ridge containing the crop, arotary 'di ging element at the rear of the share, said1diging mentmounted eccentrically of saiddigging element, connecting arms from saidrotary element to the hinged tinesgsaid arms serving to locate saidtines in suitable'digging positions, a U shapedlbracket mountedparallelj with and at the side'ofsaid main shaft,

a counter shaft mounted in said bracket, @means for driving said countershaft from said-main shaft, abearing, in said bracket,

a universal joint, one part of which is ro .tatably mounted in saidbearing, driving 7 means from "said counter shaft to the said rotat-ablepart of said universal joint, a depend ing shaft associated withftheother part of said universal joint, a bellshaped receiving a screen on.said depending shaft, said receiving screen comprising a number of tinesrigidly. fixed to a circular disc,.said tines extending downwardly andforwardly in spiral formation and being curved outwardly from theirpoint of attachment, to said disc, so that the diameter of the circleen- 7 'than the diameter ofthe disc, to which the other-ends of thetines are fixed, the planes g enclosing said circle and said disc being'in spaced relationship and means for driving the digging andreceivingelements.

4 A potato digging 1 machine Compris-i lng 1n combmation a frame, anaxle on said frame, supporting wheels on said aX1e,-a

7 main driving'shaf-t, a'share vfor raising the V ridge'containing thecrop, a rotary digging 7 element at the rear of the share, saiddiggingclosing the free ends of said tines is larger element being arrangedwith its axis substantially horizontal and comprising a rnumher ofhingedly attached tines, a rotary element mounted eccentrically of saiddigging element, connecting arms from said rotary element to the hingedtines, said arms servingto locate said tines in suitable diggingpositions, a U shaped bracket mounted parallel with and at the side ofsaid'main shaft, a counter shaft mounted in said bracket, a chain drivefrom said main shaft to said counter shaft, a depending shaft disposedadjacent said counter shaft, bevel gears for 1 driving said dependingshaft from said counter shaft, a universal joint associated with saiddepending shaft to provide means whereby said depending shaft can beswung about its upper end while being driven,'a bracket fixed to said Ushaped bracket and having aniarcuate slot, a bearing in which saiddepending shaft is adapted to revolve,

ascrew threaded stud associatedjwith said 3 bearing, said stud beingadapted to engage said arcuate slot whereby said depending shaft can belocked in any adjusted position, a disc on said depending shaft, tineson said disc, said tines extending downwardly and forwardly in spiralformation and being curved outwardly from their point of attachment tosaid disc so that the diameter of the circle enclosing the free ends ofsaid tines,

